Carnatic Wars facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Carnatic Wars |
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 Lord Robert Clive meeting with Mir Jafar after the Battle of Plassey, oil on canvas (Francis Hayman, c. 1762) |
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The Carnatic Wars were a series of big military fights that happened in India during the middle of the 1700s. These wars took place in the Carnatic region, which is a coastal area in South India. This region was part of the Hyderabad State. There were three main Carnatic Wars, fought between 1744 and 1763.
These conflicts involved many local rulers and their allies, who were fighting for control and power. But the wars also became a major struggle between two powerful European trading companies: the French East India Company and the British East India Company. Even though these companies were mainly about trade, they also had their own armies.
The battles mostly happened in areas that were once part of the Mughal Empire in India. Different local groups, who used to be loyal to the Mughal Emperor, also got involved.
In the end, the British East India Company became the strongest European power in India. The French company lost much of its influence and was mostly limited to Pondichéry. The British company's success in these wars helped them gain control over most of India later on, leading to the start of the British Raj.
Contents
Why Did the Carnatic Wars Happen?
The Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb died in 1707. After his death, the central government of the Mughal Empire became weaker. This allowed local rulers to become more independent. One such ruler, Nizam-ul-Mulk, made Hyderabad an independent kingdom.
When Nizam-ul-Mulk died, his son, Nasir Jung, and his grandson, Muzaffar Jung, began fighting over who would rule Hyderabad. This fight quickly drew in the French and British, who wanted to increase their power in India. France supported Muzaffar Jung, while Britain supported Nasir Jung.
The Carnatic region, though legally under the Nizam of Hyderabad, was also ruled by its own local leader, called the Nawab. When the Nawab Dost Ali Khan died, his son-in-law Chanda Sahib and another leader named Muhammad Ali started fighting for control. The French backed Chanda Sahib, and the British supported Muhammad Ali.
A key person who helped start the Carnatic Wars was a Frenchman named Joseph François Dupleix. He came to India in 1715 and became the governor of the French East India Company in 1742. Dupleix wanted to make France more powerful in India. He started training Indian soldiers under French officers and made deals with local rulers. However, he faced a strong opponent in Robert Clive, a determined young officer from the British Army.
The wars in Europe, like the War of the Austrian Succession (1740) and the Seven Years' War (1756), also caused fighting between the French and British in India.
The Three Carnatic Wars
First Carnatic War (1744–1748)
The First Carnatic War began in 1744 because of a war in Europe called the War of the Austrian Succession. Great Britain and France were enemies in Europe, but their trading companies in India had been friendly. However, this changed when British ships started capturing French merchant ships.
The French asked for help from their base on Mauritius. In July 1746, French and British naval forces fought a battle near Negapatam. After this, the British fleet went to Bengal. On September 21, 1746, the French captured the British trading post at Madras.
The French commander, La Bourdonnais, had promised to give Madras back to the British. But Dupleix changed his mind. The local Nawab then sent an army of 10,000 men to take Madras from the French. However, a small French force defeated them in the Battle of Adyar.
The French then tried to capture the British Fort St. David at Cuddalore several times. But British reinforcements arrived, stopping the French attacks. Later, in 1748, British Admiral Edward Boscawen tried to capture Pondicherry from the French. He had to stop his attack when the heavy monsoon rains began in October.
The First Carnatic War ended when the war in Europe finished. In the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle (1748), Madras was returned to the British. In exchange, the French got back their fortress of Louisbourg in North America, which the British had captured. This war was important because it was the first time Robert Clive fought in India. He was captured at Madras but escaped and helped defend Cuddalore.
Second Carnatic War (1749–1754)
Even though there was no official war in Europe, the fighting continued in India. This was like a "proxy war," where the French and British supported different Indian rulers.
On one side was Nasir Jung, the Nizam of Hyderabad, and his ally Muhammad Ali. They were supported by the British. On the other side were Chanda Sahib and Muzaffar Jung, supported by the French. They were fighting to become the Nawab of Arcot.
Muzaffar Jung and Chanda Sahib managed to capture Arcot. When Nasir Jung died, Muzaffar Jung became the ruler of Hyderabad. However, Muzaffar Jung's rule was short, as he was soon killed. Salabat Jung then became the new Nizam.
In 1751, Robert Clive led British troops to capture Arcot. He successfully defended it against attacks. The war ended with the Treaty of Pondicherry in 1754. This treaty recognized Muhammad Ali Khan Walajah as the Nawab of the Carnatic. Charles Godeheu replaced Dupleix, who later died in poverty in France.
Third Carnatic War (1756–1763)
When the Seven Years' War started in Europe in 1756, the French and British began fighting again in India. The French company was also having many money problems at this time.
The Third Carnatic War spread beyond southern India. British forces captured the French settlement of Chandernagore (now Chandannagar) in Bengal in 1757. However, the main battles that decided the war happened in the south.
The British successfully defended Madras. Then, Sir Eyre Coote led the British to a major victory over the French, led by the Comte de Lally, at the Battle of Wandiwash in 1760. After this important battle, the French capital of Pondicherry fell to the British in 1761.
What Happened After the Wars?
The Carnatic Wars officially ended with the signing of the Treaty of Paris (1763) in 1763. This treaty returned Chandernagore and Pondichéry to France. It also allowed the French to have "factories" (which were like trading posts) in India. However, the treaty said that French traders could not control these areas politically.
The French agreed to support the British-backed local governments. This meant that France gave up its dreams of having an empire in India. The British became the most powerful foreign force in India.
Images for kids
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The British surrender of Madras, 1746.
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The Siege of Arcot (1751) was a major battle fought between Robert Clive and the combined forces of the Mughal Empire's Nawab of the Carnatic, Chanda Sahib, assisted by a small number of troops from the French East India Company
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Robert Clive fires a cannon in the Siege of Arcot.
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French and English boats position near Pondicherry. French National Archives.
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End the siege of Pondicherry in 1748.
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Death of the Nawab Anwaruddin Mohammed Khan in a battle (battle of Ambur) against the French in 1749 (by Paul Philipoteaux).
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Lally at Pondicherry.
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The Black Hole of Calcutta, 20 June 1756.
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Jean Law's Memoire: Mémoires sur quelques affaires de l'Empire Mogol 1756–1761 contains detailed information about the campaign of the Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II and his French allies against the British East India Company.
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English guns at the battle of Plassey, 23 June 1757.
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Nawab of Bengal, Mir Qasim at the Battle of Buxar
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Mughal artillerymen at Plassey during the Carnatic Wars.
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See also
- French India
- Nizam of Hyderabad
- Salabat Jung
- Hyder Ali
- Anwaruddin Khan
